A row over rents at the Blanchardstown Centre in Dublin is to result in the loss of more than 100 jobs.
The trade union Mandate said that staff had been informed this morning that eight Arcadia Group outlets in the Blanchardstown Centre will close in September.
Mandate's divisional organiser Brendan O'Hanlon said that the Arcadia Group outlets in the centre included Topman, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Outfit and Evans. He said the stores had 104 staff.
"This morning at 10am, Arcadia management called staff into a meeting to inform them that because of the refusal of the Blanchardstown Centre's management to agree to a reduction in the rents being charged the stores will close in September as their current lease runs out on September 17th next.
"Argos has already announced that it will be closing its Blanchardstown store in July for the same reason."
He said that the closure of the stores were not in any way linked to any industrial relations issues.
Mr O'Hanlon said that staff were "shocked and disappointed" at the development. He said Mandate would be engaging with Arcadia to minimise the number of job losses and to negotiate the best possible terms for those who will be made redundant.
However, he said it would be much preferable if the closure of the stores could be avoided.
He said the union was calling on the management of the Blanchardstown Centre to negotiate more reasonable rents with Arcadia and other retailers.
"The Blanchardstown Centre's management need to 'get real' about the rents they are charging in what is now a very depressed market for retail. It is totally unreasonable for them and other commercial property landlords to insist on maintaining arrangements that were put in place in a very different economic situation," Mr O’Hanlon said.
Jim McKenna, operations director of Green Properties, which owns and operates the Blanchardstown Centre, said it had had no discussions or correspondence with the Arcadia Group in relation to rents for its outlets.
He said the group had five stores rather than eight in the centre and that the leases were due to expire next September. He said that he looked forward to having discussions with the company in due course.
